Hard talk

The Sun
by PAULINE WONG

> Deputy EC chief comes under fire from Bersih supporters at forum

SHAH ALAM: The Election Commission yesterday faced up to its harshest critics – supporters of the Coalition for Clean and Fair Elections (Bersih 2.0).

In a forum discussion held at the Karangkraf headquarters, deputy chairman Datuk Wan Ahmad Wan Omar took questions that came hard and fast from the hundreds-strong crowd.

He was part of three-person panel which included Bersih chairman Datuk Ambiga Sreenevasan and Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia Ethnic Studies Institute director Datuk Dr Shamsul Amri.

The questions were on the issues raised both by Bersih and the opposition front, namely cleaning up of electoral rolls, phantom voters, and vote-buying.

Said Wan Ahmad: “We are defending ourselves from bullets from all directions. We do not favour the Barisan Nasional. We hold discussions with all parties, We cannot remove names without verification from the National Registration Department.”

He insisted that the EC is but a management body to manage elections and it is the police that enforce the law.

To a heckling, jeering crowd, Wan Ahmad explained that a booklet which was released by EC on July 13 had explained these very issues.

“We have nothing to hide but you must keep an open mind,” said a visibly frustrated Wan Ahmad, who was constantly booed by the crowd.

Tempers frayed as a lawyer stood up to ask Ambiga if Bersih would continue to “break the law” by holding illegal assemblies. Ambiga replied that the Federal Constitution gives the right to assemble.

“However, there are provisions and restrictions imposed but if they restrict and contradict the right of the Federal Constitution to the point they become illusory, then the provisions are void,” she said.

She then turned to Wan Ahmad, asking if the EC is prepared to set up a committee comprising representatives from political parties as well as NGOs to look into these issues.

“We are open to suggestions,” replied Wan Ahmad, to more boos from the crowd. “We will invite all political parties and NGOs to EC to hear their suggestions.”

Several times, the moderator had to warn the crowd to stop heckling.

On why the plan to use indelible ink was shelved, Wan Ahmad said less than two weeks after EC announced the use of the ink, reports were received on people wanting to use indelible ink with the intent to sabotage elections and EC decided to take the safe route.

“You laugh. You heckle. In politics, anything can happen. We did not want to take the chance of anyone getting his hands inked  forcibly,” he said.

He said the biometric system will be the best way to solve the issue of phantom voters.

However, Ambiga disagreed, saying that indelible ink has been used in many countries including India and Indonesia.

“It is a cheap and effective way to ensure the authenticity of the voting system if the biometric system cannot be implemented on time for the next general election,” she said.

When asked why it is so difficult for the EC to implement the use of indelible ink, Wan Ahmad said this is because Malaysia is an advanced country.

“We are moving forward. The countries which use the ink are those countries which do not have identity cards and biometric records like we do,” he said.

“We will clean the roll based on the authenticity of the biometric data. It is foolproof. Give us the chance to explain. We are in the final stages of planning for the biometric system. Don’t make assumptions based on perceptions."